Kyle Murphy had envisioned the moment so many times, since his childhood, that when it actually occurred, his reaction was somewhat unusual.

The soccer standout from Red Hook was summoned to his Rio Grande Valley head coach’s office and given the news last week: He had been promoted to the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.

“I was calm and just took it in,” Murphy said of the moment. “I had been imagining that scene for so long, playing it in my head thousands of times, and I kind of anticipated it. So when it happened, I didn't have much of an excited reaction.”

And it’s for that reason — the demure response notwithstanding — that the moment was so significant. Murphy had always dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player, and he achieved that last year, signing with Rio Grande Valley Football Club, the Dynamo’s United Soccer League affiliate located in Texas.

His goal then was to reach MLS, the most prominent professional league in the United States. Mark off another item on that checklist.

Murphy was among seven players called up by the Dynamo for additional depth, as it competed in the U.S. Open Cup tournament on Wednesday in North Carolina. The Dynamo beat North Carolina FC, 3-2, and advanced to the next round to be played on June 28.

Murphy didn’t get into the game on Wednesday, but he attempted to absorb any knowledge he could from the veterans and simply experiencing that atmosphere, he said, was a thrill.

“Being in a top-level environment in the U.S. is great and I enjoyed it all,” the 24-year-old said. “Especially being around guys who've been at it for 16, 17 years (as professionals) and seeing what I can take from them and add to my game.”

The forward has already built for himself a deep repertoire of skills, having starred for Red Hook High School and then at Clemson University. He helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA final in 2015, then signed with Rio Grande Valley last March. He was the Journal’s Player of the Year in 2010 and earned several honors in college.

But this promotion, though temporary, was perhaps his most meaningful achievement thus far. He got a glimpse, from up close, of the life he long has fantasized about.

After news of the call-up broke, Murphy said, he was bombarded with congratulatory messages from friends, loved ones and former teammates back in Red Hook.

“I got so much stuff, between texts, Twitter and SnapChat, I couldn’t even keep track of how many,” he said. “But I love that. Knowing there are so many people back home supporting me, it’s humbling.”

The MLS game, he said, is “faster and cleaner technically” than in the USL. Houston will host Sporting Kansas City on June 28 in the U.S. Open Cup's Round of 16. Murphy returned to Rio Grande Valley on Thursday morning and doesn't yet know if he will be brought back by the Dynamo later this month. He sure hopes so, of course.

“It felt really good,” he said of the promotion. “It’s exciting when you see the work you’ve put in for so long starting to pay off and you get rewarded. It makes me want to keep working and take that next step.”

His ultimate aspiration, as it is for most high-level soccer players, is to make the U.S. National Team and compete in a World Cup. But that’s several steps away, if even within reach. For now, Murphy said, his goal is to earn another call-up and eventually sign an MLS contract.

Murphy said in the last year, he has improved his game speed and consistency, and the USL is considerably more competitive than college. He had three goals and an assist in 24 games with the Toros last season.

Red Hook High School graduate Kyle Murphy was the Journal’s 2010 Boys Soccer Player of the Year.(Photo: Journal file)

“I’m doing things at a more consistent rate now,” he said. “In college, I could perform something seven out of 10 times. Here, I can get it done nine out of 10 times, and faster.”

Murphy has forged a friendship with Tyler Adams, a Roy C. Ketcham High School senior who plays for the New York Red Bulls of MLS. Adams returned from South Korea earlier this month after competing with the United States National Team in the Under-20 World Cup. He and Murphy have worked out together and keep in touch via text.

“I’m stoked to see him succeeding, and I hope I can get there too,” Murphy said. “He’s done phenomenal things, especially at such a young age.”

Murphy said he hopes their success — emerging from the Mid-Hudson Valley to reach the heights of professional sports — will inspire youngsters to believe “you can achieve a lot if you’re focused and doing the right things. Big things can happen.”